A look at the NHL draft

We realize this is super late - we're blaming a combination of technical difficulties and travel. At least one of us needs to get our computer fixed this summer. Not saying which one.

The NHL Entry Draft took place last weekend (June 25-26) in Los Angeles. Hockey's future stars waited anxiously to see where they'd start their careers, who was interested, and what round they'd be picked in. Some would be pleasantly surprised. Others, disappointed. The memories will last forever. Just ask Ryan Smyth, Jonathan Bernier, and and Alyn McCauley.

But the players aren't the only ones under pressure. Each General Manager has to look into his crystal ball and try to guess where these guys might be in a year, three years, or five years and see how they fit into a master plan, all focused on winning hockey's ultimate prize - the Stanley Cup.

Here's how the Grizzlies affiliate teams did in the draft:

New York Islanders


The Islanders picked twice in the first round, twice in the third, and once in the fifth and seventh rounds for a total of 6 picks.

• Nino Niederreiter - right wing - #5 overall
• Brock Nelson - center - #30 overall
• Kirill Kabanov - left wing - #65 overall
• Jason Clark - center/left wing - #82 overall
• Tony Dehart - defense - #125 overall
• Cody Rosen - goal - #185 overall

Niederreiter (fitting that on a jersey will be fun) was not expected to be taken that high in the draft, even by himself, but Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said, "Nino was extremely impressive in the World Junior Championships playing for Team Switzerland, using his size to create space. He is a big power-foward who will add size to our lineup for years to come." Also, "He's a really great kid." And he's been dubbed "El Nino" - bonus. A surprised Niederreiter commented, "This is just a great team. I couldn't be happier to be with the Islanders." He also let slip during his interview that he figured the Islanders were going to pick Cam Fowler, who went at #12 to the Anaheim Ducks. "El Nino" is the highest drafted Swiss-born player ever. [More on the Niederreiter pick.] (Thanks to Canadian Press for the picture - couldn't find his draft portrait for some reason.)

Also picked in the first round was center Brock Nelson. The Islanders traded up a few spots to get to 30 so they could select him. But the biggest story of the Islanders' draft was the 65th overall pick - Kirill Kabanov. Billed as a player with tons of talent, he could have gone in the first round, but slipped to the third because of some behavioral issues. The Islanders were the team brave enough to give him a shot. Kabanov seemed happy to get a second chance to prove himself. "It's a new book," he said, smiling. For more on the Kabanov pick, read here.

Calgary Flames

Due to trades, the Flames didn't have any picks until the third round. They picked twice in the third, twice in the fourth, and once each in the fifth and seventh rounds.

• Maxwell Reinhart - center - #64 overall
• Joey Leach - defense - #73 overall
• John Ramage - defense - #102 overall
• Bill Arnold - center - #108 overall
• Michael Ferland - left wing - #133 overall
• Patrick Holland - right wing - #193 overall

Four of the Flames' newest members visited the Saddledome on Wednesday, June 30 to meet with the Calgary media. Funny thing - all four of them had been there before. For Ferland, at least, this time was more fun - the last time he was in the building, his team was beat by the Hitmen. Read a little more about their press conference here.


General consensus seems to be that the Islanders did pretty well for themselves in the draft this year. Because of Calgary's odd distribution of picks, there wasn't a lot of talk about their draft. Of course, nobody will know for a few years who really had a successful draft and who didn't. While the hope is that all of these guys will end up in the NHL, we wouldn't complain if they did a little time in the ECHL first... just so we could get a preview of what's coming. We got a pretty good glimpse of Mikko Koskinen (drafted #31 overall by the Islanders, 2009) last season when he was assigned to the Grizzlies after an injury to get some ice time, so it's possible we could see some of the new guys in Utah at some point too. (Koskinen picture from Islanders Point Blank.)

Some other interesting facts about the draft...

• The US had 59 players selected in this year's draft. That's the highest number yet. Canada had 99 players selected.


• Four of those draftees were born and raised in California.


• 22 players drafted were developed in the United States high school systems.

Hockey is getting bigger down here in middle North America, and the caliber of players the US is producing is improving every year. The development programs are improving here, and scouts are liking what they see. That means our young hockey players have a better chance of making it to the NHL, even from a non-hockey market, as long as they are dedicated and work hard. You don't have to move to Canada anymore to have a shot. Of course, there's still that little matter of Olympic gold...

Next time, Canada.